Going for tyre Upsizing? Here’s what you should consider.

Friday, 1 July 2016 1:02:14 PM Australia/Sydney

A new car is an exciting purchase and with comes the opportunity to upgrade the standard characteristics of the car to improve the performance and also give it a sporty look. One way to do this is to increase the width of the tyre which is known as up sizing. Up sizing tyres has many pros and cons. You need to consider effects to vehicle safety as well as aesthetics and take into consideration other items that are affected by changing tyre width and diameter.

Pros of Tyre Up sizing

Sportier Look:

An effortless way to make your car look sportier is to mount it on wide or low profile tyres. This changes the entire look of the car.

Better Traction:

Wide tyres give better handling and grip as the contact patch on the road is larger.

Shorter Braking Distance:

Wider tyres have shorter braking distances thanks to the tyre’s larger surface area with road. This also results in better car control while braking and cornering, and reduces the chances of skidding on wet roads.

Cons of Tyre Up sizing

Less Fuel Efficiency:

Wider tyres increase rolling resistance, which in turn reduces the efficiency of the car. Since the grip with the road is more, the engine would need more power to move the car forward.

Low Drive quality:

Wide tyres prove to be less efficient than narrow tyres in deep snow and wet weather as the latter tend to reach road surface more easily in snow. During wet weather, broader tyres are not aquaplane resistant as the friction can be lost faster with wet roads.

Extra load:

Tyres which are broader in width tend to affect the suspension of the car. Mounting the car with wider tyres alone won’t give better handling on roads. it could put the safety of the driver in danger as the standard cars are not designed to compensate for the extra load of wider tyres.

While it is true all sports cars have super wide and low profiles tyres, those cars’ suspension and structure are designed to support wide tyres. Fitting a passenger car or SUV with wide tyres and expecting them to perform better could jeopardise safety of drivers and the car. Suspension upgrades may be necessary to get the best result from upsizing tyres.

Why Car Tyres & You

At Car Tyres & You, we firmly believe in providing a high level of customer satisfaction. It is indeed our top priority and the key reason behind our success as well. This is why we offer a Lifetime Puncture Repair Guarantee with every tyre sold.